When it comes to the Yankees, a strand of history is never far from reach, ready to be pulled at a moment’s notice until a bit of franchise lore is unspooled for exploration. It was one of these familiar threads that newly-minted Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas reached for in a hotel ballroom last month when he called the duo seated to his left “the modern-day version of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.”

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge clasped their hands and sat up straight, stretching their massive frames to the limit, as if to present themselves for inspection. Weeks before, the Yankees swung the landscape-shifting trade that brought together baseball’s most fearsome sluggers. Now, they were appearing together publicly for the first time as teammates. It would be their first dose of the scrutiny that will shadow them as long as they remain together.

Costas raved about how the duo would be good for the Yankees and good for baseball. He peeked into a...

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